Cool Things You May Not Know About My Dad

My pappy.  I love this man!  

1. My dad has a degree in Diesel Mechanics and can fix just about anything, given enough trips to the hardware store.  

2. My dad is a outdoors guy.  If you don't know this about him, it's because you've never met him.  He loves to fish, hunt, hike, and camp.  I spent many a childhood weekend bushwhacking to streams and letting my dad help me fish by touching all of the gross things, like worms and, well, fish.  He recently got to go on a dream fishing trip in Alaska with his cousins (pictured above).  

3. When my parents first got married, my dad worked as a coal miner in Utah.  Later, he got a job as a nuclear technician at the Idaho State Laboratory.  The site where he works is an hour and a half drive out of the town we live in; he has ridden the bus back and forth to work for almost 35 years.  The work hasn't always been thrilling, but he has always worked hard and been an excellent provider.  

4. Many of my dad's work buddies have already retired and get together periodically for breakfast at Frontier Pies; he joins them when he's on the right shift to do so.  On his birthday this year, my sister and I got to meet this group of men.  Adorable.  And they dress just like him.  I love that my dad has made this wonderful group of lifelong friends.   

5. My papa can not sit still for very long.  He is always busy doing something-- fixing things, building things, digging holes, pruning trees, gardening, snow blowing, going to the hardware store, getting ready for a fishing trip, getting ready for a camping trip, etc.   

6. My dad is a fabulous husband.  For example, he is not naturally interested in sports.  However, because he is supportive of my mom's avid interest in sports, my dad now watches games, gets depressed when BYU loses, knows the names of the major tennis players, and even spent an entire day in Boise happily watching tennis matches.  

7. My dad is a faithful member of the LDS church and has always been willing to serve in any way asked of him.  He has been a  home teacher, a scout leader, and a primary teacher, among other things.  When his work schedule made it so he could only attend church half the time, my dad was the Church Magazine Subscription Guy.  I still remember him coming home from a twelve hour work shift and sitting down at the kitchen table to call people about their magazine subscriptions.  I didn't think much about it at the time, but it brings tears to my eyes now to think about how willing he was to do what was asked of him, even though he was tired, even though it wasn't a particularly glamorous or exciting calling.  He just did it.  

8. My daddy loves music, especially classical music, and can play the piano quite well.  My sister remembers him playing a lot of Mozart when we were younger.  When I was a child, he was the Primary pianist.   When he retires in a year, he plans to learn how to play the violin.  

9. Speaking of churchy things, my dad served his mission in New England.    That's also where my father-in-law served his mission.  And it's where the father of my children grew up.  That New England is just a fathery place. 

I am so grateful for my sweet and handsome papa.  He is a powerful source of unconditional love and support and I am overwhelmed by my good fortune in being able to call such a man "Dad."  

Happy Father's Day, Daddy.